Many Malaysians ignored a gomen SMS offering free insurance

Earlier in 2022, you may have received an SMS from the government about being eligible for mySalam 2022. And, if you’re like any of our three Cilisos colleagues who received it, you probably ignored the SMS.

When we asked why they didn’t sign up for it, the common answer was I didn’t know what it was. Here’s what one of our colleagues said in detail:

“I Googled it, but I didn’t understand so I asked my friends. Friends said can get money. I asked them how to get the money, and they said ‘don’t know’. So never mind lah.” – Oblivious Cilisos colleague

Well, her friends weren’t 100% correct because it isn’t a direct financial assistance scheme like ePemula, but finding out what mySalam was had our colleague kicking herself – in her own words, “I feel very stupid now”. So, here’s what she missed out on.

mySalam and PeKa are comprehensive insurance schemes for B40 Malaysians

Getting private health insurance can be super expensive, and completely out of the question if you’re struggling to make ends meet. mySalam and PeKa not only help with the cost of treatment, but also provide cash assistance to the B40 community (household income below RM4,580/month). Turns out, these schemes have been around for a while, and they worked so well that the Ministry of Finance re-introduced them as part of Budget 2022.

But while mySalam and PeKa may seem alike, there are some slight differences.

• mySalam is available to those as young as 18, and provides up to RM8,000 coverage and RM50/day hospitalisation allowance when diagnosed with any of the 45 critical illnesses listed
• PeKa is available for those above the age of 40, and covers the cost of medical screening, medical equipment up to RM20,000, and transportation costs up to RM1,000

Best of all is that both schemes are completely free of charge as long as you meet the requirements. And by the time Budget 2022 was announced, mySalam alone had paid over RM180 million to 125,000 patients.

We reached out to a PeKa recipient, who shared how the assistance helped him escape a life of pain and discomfort.

Sabri bin Sabu didn’t have to pay a single Sen for his knee surgery

65-year old Sabri bin Sabu is a business owner from Perlis who has been plagued with pain in his left knee for years. He had his first surgery on his left leg in 2017, but the relief was only temporary because his right knee started acting up as well. Sabri couldn’t tell us exactly what the medical terms were, but here’s how he described it:

“The ‘oil’ in my knee had dried up! I couldn’t even bend my knee or pray. It was jammed.” – Sabri bin Sabu, translated from BM by Cilisos

He was distraught. He had to reject a second surgery because he couldn’t afford the RM5,500 medical bill. His condition also prevented him from working. It was looking pretty bleak for Sabri until his doctor told him about the PeKa scheme, which he signed on without hesitation. With renewed hope and financial assistance, he went for a consultation at a government clinic and underwent the surgery – all within a period of two weeks and at ZERO cost to him, because it was entirely covered.

Sabri tell us that although his knees will never be the same, he no longer has to spend his days in pain:

“I got an OKU card. The doctor said the surgery won’t fix it 100%, but at least it’ll reduce the pain. I can’t do heavy lifting, I still have to pray while seated. But now, at least I can walk, though not far.”

Needless to say, the assistance really turned Sabri’s life around; so much so that…

Sabri has been spreading the word to other patients about mySalam and PeKa

While in the hospital, Sabri spoke to other patients and was shocked to discover that so many people have never heard of mySalam and PeKa. After experiencing the benefits first-hand, he’s pretty adamant that the rakyat NEEDS to know that these schemes are available to them.

“The rakyat don’t know about it. I met a patient who asked ‘how did you do it? Did you use your pension?’ I told him, ‘PeKa!’, and he asked ‘what’s PeKa?’, so I told him.

These people wanted help but thought there wasn’t any. But in fact, there is. Even I didn’t know about it initially.

I am very thankful for my knee surgery. I hope PeKa can be continued.”

When we asked him what he had to say to those apprehensive (was-was) about financial assistance schemes like PeKa and mySalam, Sabri’s reply almost seems like it was meant for our colleague mentioned at the beginning of this article:

“Always ask as many questions [to the right people] as you can. Sometimes, when you ask someone uninformed, they can mislead you.”

When it comes to government initiatives, our negative perceptions can sometimes overshadow how much we actually benefit from them. It’s not just a specific group either – Malaysians have generally benefited from the moratoriums, SME funding, tax breaks, and subsidies in one way or another. In this sense, Budget 2023 promises more targeted benefits for every group following rounds of public feedback, so stay tuned when it’s announced on October 7th so you don’t miss out!